Poison
by outerelf
Summary: Someone gets it in their CPU that Red Alert needs to be put down. Warning: char. death


Bumblebee stifled a sob as the steady throb of drums pulsed steadily through the base. Somebody was about to be killed, and everyone knew why. Bumblebees thoughts drifted off to several days ago…

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Red Alert shivered, huddled in the corner, optics offlined, muttering to himself. Jazz and the twins exchanged looks, and Jazz muttered, "Where's Inferno?"

"He was out on a patrol, so it'll take a few more moments-"

Inferno burst in, optics instantly spotting Red Alert. "Red!"

Red Alert flinched, pressing deeper into the corner. Infernos shoulders sagged, and he came up carefully to Red Alert, hands outstretched. "Easy Red. Let's get you somewhere quieter."

Red Alert clung to Inferno as the fire truck led his friend off. Sideswipe said, slightly worried, "He's been glitching more and more ever since he's come to earth."

Nods came from around the room, and a heavy silence hung over them.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Inferno held Red Alert, rocking back and forth, murmuring sweet nonsense in Red Alerts auditory receptor, promising him the next day would be fine. "In-Inferno. It-It r-really h-hurts." Red Alert stammered, clutching on his to his CPU, stammering from the pain. "P-Please, make it stop!"

"Shh Red, go into recharge and you'll feel better when you wake up. I promise." Inferno said softly. "Don't worry, I've been working on our request."

Red Alert peered up at Inferno, and then snuggled closer, slipping into an exhausted, glitchy recharge.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Sir?"

"You heard what I said. You and Red Alert cannot leave Earth!"

"But- Prime! Red Alerts needs to be somewhere quiet! Ever since he's gotten to earth his sensor net has been overloaded! He needs a break!"

"His services are too valuable Inferno." Prime said softly.

"Prime! Red spends more time glitching then anything else!" Inferno cried, hands clenching, willing Prime to understand. "He's in _pain_."

Prime sighed, and placed a hand on the desk before him, but he stared at Inferno levelly. "I know Inferno. However, Red Alert is needed to run the security system. Inferno, we need him."

"Give us just two cycles Prime! Just two cycles on the moon." Inferno begged, looking at Prime desperately. "Please! Red needs some down time! He'll be able to focus on work better!"

Inferno knew that he was grasping at straws, and his spark sank even further as Prime regretfully shook his head. "No Inferno."

Infernos shoulders slumped, and Prime sighed inwardly. It hurt to refuse such a reasonable request, but they really did need Red Alert. At least until someone who could take over his duties was able to come. Until then, the Ark and those on Earth was forced to deal with the ever glitching Red Alert.

_One thing is certain however. He has always been loyal to the cause, and has never given up in the face of danger._ Prime thought, and then he shook himself as Inferno silently left the room.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Inferno wandered the Ark, thinking furiously. Red Alert, although he didn't show it, was now in pain from his glitch and overloaded sensory nets 24/7. Ratchet could do nothing, he was too busy with new arrivals, and while he tried to do something for Red Alert, what he could do was periodically give Inferno a painkiller. Which Red Alert was rapidly growing immune too.

Inferno ground his teeth together. _At this rate, the only way Red is going to get some rest at all, is if someone permanently offlines him-_

The thought made Inferno stop dead in the middle of the hallway, as he began turning the possibility over in his CPU. Certainly he'd miss Red Alert, but- _"Please Inferno, stop the pain! Anything to stop the pain."_

That small fragment of memory rose up in Infernos CPU, making the decision for him.

Silently he moved to the cafeteria.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Red Alert shivered in his corner, attempting to do his work. But he couldn't concentrate; he could hear all sorts of conversations drifting through the walls. _C'mon Red Alert, you've managed to do your work through some battle zones, you even finished up with your best security plan in the middle of a battlefield!_ Red Alert told himself.

His optics drifted to the door, wondering if Inferno would come into the room. He had nothing to fear around Inferno. Inferno would protect him…

Inferno entered, holding a cube. "Here ya go Red."

Red Alert stared at the energon cube, and back at Inferno, attempting a small smile. "Sorry Inferno, I'm not very hungry."

It was true enough. Red Alert had the feeling if he tried to drink anything, he would give it all up to a waste basket in a corner. Infernos smile grew slightly sad and slightly softer. "Drink it Red. I promise that it'll help."

Red Alert was too tired to argue, so he took the energon cube, and lifted it to his lips to drink from.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Hey, Prowl?"

"What now Jazz?"

"Well, I just noticed. It says on here that Inferno took off with nearly a pound of some highly dangerous stuff. Enough to kill a mech. Do you know why?"

"No, I don't. And if you have time to be looking these sorts of things up, why don't you go and—wait. Inferno did?"

Jazz nodded, passing the pad over to Prowl. Prowl stared at the information, and suddenly cursed standing up. "Those are stored in white containers."

"What? Prowl?"

"I saw Inferno pass by, dumping the contents of a white container in an energon cube. He said it was for Red Alert."

Jazz sat, frozen as his CPU struggled to connect the points that Prowls had instantly made. "Slag."

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Red Alert was about to drink, when a sudden queasy feeling overtook him, and he set down the cube, rushing for a wastebasket. Then, to Infernos distress, he began heaving the contents of his nearly empty energon processor into the basket.

Inferno moved to brace Red Alert, holding the trembling mech in his arms as Red Alerts smaller body was wracked in pained spasms. "Let it all out Red." Inferno said softly, rubbing Red Alerts back plate. "Nice and easy."

Red Alert pulled away from the basket, trembling violently. His horns were sparking bright blue as he buried himself in Infernos arms, muttering. Inferno ignored the muttering, comforting Red Alert. Inferno looked at the cube, and back down at Red Alert.

Silently he picked up the cube, giving it to Red Alert. "Drink it Red."

Red Alert reached for the cube slowly. He wasn't eager to repeat his performance at the basket, but his energon processor was so empty, he needed something in there.

Silently he drank it, and at last put it down. Amazingly he began to feel lighter, already he was beginning to feel better. "Whatever did you give me?" Red Alert murmured. "I'm not in pain anymore. Thank you Inferno."

Inferno crushed Red Alert next to him, crying as he felt Red Alerts spark slowly stop pulsing.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Prowl threw open the door to find Inferno cuddling Red Alerts cold, sparkles body, fresh, hot energon tears pouring down his cheeks. He looked up at Prowl as Prowl entered, and softly he whispered, "He isn't in pain anymore."

Prowl stopped dead, and then he took a deep breath, his door wings stiffening to hide the tiny trembling that was going on. "Jazz, go tell Prime that Red Alert is dead."

Jazz, in the doorway, stopped dead. "Red Alert? Dead? That ain't possible."

"Jazz, go."

Prowl wish he didn't have to say this to Jazz, after all, all of them had seen death plenty of times, but this- this was a special case. "Inferno. You are under arrest for the suspicion of poisoning Red Alert."

Inferno said nothing, merely holding Red Alerts body close, chin resting on the top of Red Alerts helm. Jazz hesitated in the doorway, and then ran off to tell Prime. Prowl said coldly, "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you-"

Inferno placed Red Alert down tenderly, as Prowl stepped forward, about to take custody of the fire truck. Inferno allowed himself to be hand-cuffed, and silently he sat, staring at both Prowl and Red Alert. Prowl paged Ratchet, his spark heavy and saddened.

Ratchet appeared, and his face fell when he saw Red Alert. "He's dead, isn't he?"

Prowl nodded. Ratchet groaned, "Well, he lasted longer then I would've expected. No one thought he'd make it to the end of the war."

Prowl snapped, glaring at Inferno, "He might have lived longer if someone hadn't poisoned him as I suspect."

For the first time Ratchet noticed Inferno, and as he looked at him, and then at the peacefully off-lined Red Alert, his face grew furious. "You-" Ratchet began, but was interrupted as Prime and Jazz entered through the door.

"What is going on here?" Prime demanded, optics sweeping the mechs.

Inferno was, surprisingly, the first to speak. "Red's dead."

Prowl finished, "-and Inferno is being held under the suspicion of killing him."

Primes optic ridges rose, and he turned to Inferno, about to question him, when Prowl motioned to Ratchet. "Ratchet, would you examine the body?"

Ratchet scanned the body, his spark dropping as he analyzed the scans. "Red Alert was poisoned. With such an empty energon processor, it instantly spread to all of his systems, making him die in less then a human second, He never would've felt it either."

Prowl turned to Inferno, snapping coldly, "What do you have to say?"

"I did nothing wrong." Inferno said softly. "Red was in so much pain. I was just ending it."

Jazz choked, and Prowls door wings came up even further as Prowl said grimly, "You do realize that punishment for poisoning an officer is, correct?"

"Stasis lock?"

"Death." Prowl corrected grimly.

Jazz looked at Inferno, then at Prowl. Infernos face was musing, and slowly he nodded. "Very well."

0o0o0o0o0o0

The drums stopped throbbing, and Bumblebee could take it no longer. He offlined his optics as energon began to seep into the ground...

SsSsSsSsSsSsSsSs

Two bunnies once again combined into this monstrosity… But I have yet to see a fic with Inferno abusing Red, so I thought I'd be the first. If there is one, please tell. But… R&R anyways, because I want to know if I did well with this…


End file.
